 Poster: A snowHead
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Just ordered my ski passes and need to collect them on Sunday morning, we are staying in Les Houches but want to ski our first day in Le Tour so want to pick up our Cham passes on the way across.
I been given the options below to collect from which will be easiest to jump out of the car and get them from?
Opening times:
Aiguille du Midi 24/24
Montenvers railway station in Chamonix: 24/24
Planpraz gondola departure (Brevent area) 24/24
Argentière near welcom kiosk (Grands Montets Area) 24/24
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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@Neillp,
Montenvers no queue.
GM easy park.
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Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
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@jbob, Thanks any idea where it is at Montenvers?
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You need to Login to know who's really who.
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@Neillp, yes. As you come into chamonix passed the petrol station and carrefore, the road bends to the left and goes over the railway at a level crossing, its immediately on the left there. There’s free parking, often full, on the right just on the bend. If you get to the roundabout where sanglard is you've passed it.
Its usually possible to pull over and quickly send someone to get the passes.
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Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
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@under a new name, @jbob, Flegere is a real problem. I had occasion in the past year or two to enjoy the odd foaming ale with an English liftie who has worked for donkeys years at Flegere. It turns out that the only technically feasible way to improve the uplift is to base any future gondola at Les Tines. This would be least susceptible to wind disruption and practical to build.
At Les Tines one encounters practical problems of space. There isn't room for anything like the car parking currently enjoyed (therefore requiring a park and ride) and the locals living near any proposed station would be up in arms.
As for pylons, I was also advised that landowners love the rent from them, and that one of the biggest long term savings for the CdMB would be to rebuild lifts eliminating pylons. That may however be hogwash.
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You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
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I smell a rat. If you look at the nature reserve boundary it’s stepped around where it would be obvious to build the lift and maybe site a home run. It would have been more straightforward to follow the stream bed.
It’s all been planned/thought about somewhere.
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@HammondR, yes on the map Les Tines is half the distance, but where the lift might go is prime real estate and would be super expensive to buy out. I suspect my idea of Le Joux which is opposite the para avalanche on the main road hasn’t already been developed for a reason, ie avalanche risk. They could replace the mechano lift with one like they have in verbier the funispace, it’s on double cables and so wind proof, with continuous cabins, might be overkill but would do the job. I suspect it all comes down to money.
The photo is the funispace, half cable car, half gondola.
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Anyway I’m heading to cham tomorrow for a few days. I’ve heard there is a full on skin track off the top of the Herse. I report back.
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You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
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@jbob, just received a message from an early arrival, showing fresh tracks down the Toula Glacier.
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@HammondR, yes james thacker posted some photos. Did you know alison the ski instructor was having a baby.
Last edited by Ski the Net with snowHeads  on Thu 27-12-18 18:14; edited 1 time in total
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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And love to help out and answer questions and of course, read each other's snow reports.
And love to help out and answer questions and of course, read each other's snow reports.
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@jbob, blimey was that the main entry they were shooing people away from?
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| jbob wrote: |
| Anyway I’m heading to cham tomorrow for a few days. I’ve heard there is a full on skin track off the top of the Herse. I report back. |
There is, but couldn’t persuade the kids to climb it today...
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You know it makes sense.
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@BobinCH, no, the cornices were immediately left of the Helbronner lift (looking towards the Midi, and from the helicopter pictures). The way to the entrance is behind the small peak to the left of those cornices and further left still, where it is all less gruesome (round about 2:45 in the film)
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Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
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@jbob, Thanks for the directions, just been on google street-map and it makes perfect sense.
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Poster: A snowHead
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Any updates on snow conditions?
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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@dave_3 very firm, but fine to ski and not what I’d call icy. Better above 2,200-2,300m ish.
On the shonky lifts I’d be happy right now with a bus system that isn’t completely overwhelmed, and singles lines at the busy chairs.
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Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
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@dave_3, some nice chalkiness in places higher up, some almost spring snow on sunny slopes later in the day.
All in all pretty good for Christmas week.
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You need to Login to know who's really who.
You need to Login to know who's really who.
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Thanks for the info. Going out the chamonix January 4th. Just gutted the snow parks are closed
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Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
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It would be brutal conditions to ride park in anyway. Lapping the airbag at Brevent is probably your best bet.
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You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
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The airbag is showing closed too
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You should be ok. They’ve got it unrolled and it looks like they’re patching it up with some tape and a big glue gun.
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That's good news. Thanks
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You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
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Tootled around Brev-Fleg from 12;00-15:30, really rather nice. Lachenal odd, in that it was the whole season in one run (exc powder) from the scraped hardpack of the first week after the vacs scolaires in March to the lovely slushy bumps of April. Some nice transformed chalk under the Index chair. A well picked line rewarded.
Very sunny. Slopes busy and the usual xmas nutters skiing too fast with inadequate skillz but queues totally fine. Actually, the only wait was the B-F link, with no wait at all on return.
While all quite fine and really rather good for Xmas week, a decent couple of dumps would be appreciated e.g. 7.1-10.1, thank you.
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Was the air bag up and running?
Also, the Web page has a warning for brevent saying very hard snow. Is this not the case?
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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@dave_3, The Airbag, a thing of which I have not one care, but each to their own, was not up and running but it was fully opened out. Must confess, there was a LOT of duct tape visible. My suspicion is that it's pretty low down the pisteurs' priority list.
Yeah, it's quite hard and many places, but equally the mild temps and sunshine soften certain aspects. So for instance, we went up at 12h00, but 11h00 would probs have been ok. Softened snow started going off around 3.00 as the sunlight withdrew.
It's December, right?
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And love to help out and answer questions and of course, read each other's snow reports.
And love to help out and answer questions and of course, read each other's snow reports.
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Purely for the exercise, the Mrs having a stinking cold, I dragged myself out for some fresh air around 12:00.
I was very glad I did. The sky cleared by the time I hit Plan Praz with the modest ambition of a quick 3 Cornus and a little internal thinking about technique and attitude.
So 5 Cornu loops non-stop, quite a bit of reflection and concentration, especially in the mild bumps on the skier’s left of the last pitch and I wandered into the Cab’ a happy chap.
Some lovely firm snow around and on the right aspects, nice spring snow (superficial, but pleasant all the same).
Got my mojo back.
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@under a new name,
Buy some touring skis!
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You know it makes sense.
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@zzz, well, as we will be full time Cham resident as of 15.2 (work of course getting in the way) - seems rude not to!
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Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
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I did the Herse to Rachasses skin this pm, nice line, easy route, we were going gently and chatting and it took 50 mins. If you’re aggressive it would be 30-35mins. 2km, 400m ascent.
Snow over the back was ok, better than anywhere else but nothing much to write home about. Still it was a very pleasant way to spend a couple of hours and get some exercise.
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Poster: A snowHead
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@snowdave, sounds good. Do we expect to be writing home about the snow on the 30th of December?
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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I was up there as well today. Traversing across from Bochard makes it a little shorter still. Went all the way up to Col d’Argentiere and the snow is pretty much the same everywhere back there. Fun enough though, and makes for very easy and safe touring.
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Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
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@under a new name, fair point, tho probably 30% of the time I’ve had epic end-December snow. My memory may be distorted, but I can recall plenty of New Year’s Day skis of write-home nature, and nobody around.
That said, as selfish as it sounds, I think I might be happy for the top lift to be out of action for 3 years, which is the current plan.
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You need to Login to know who's really who.
You need to Login to know who's really who.
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@snowdave, as Monty P would say, “you are a very, very naughty boy” 
Happy New Year (when it comes) Chamoniards
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Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
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Anyone been up Les Houches recently? Just wondering how it was?
Trying to find a green run that will give some beginners in our party that ‘top of the mountain’ feel. We have been skiing Le Toir but it is splitting the party in 2 as some are not ready to step up from Vormaine.
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You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
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We are flying out on Friday night. Our lesson at le houches was cancel and moved to le tour.
Whats skiing like in le tour atm?
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@dave_3, best of the area, considering the conditions, although early today its nice at Brevent Flegere but will deteriorate as the pistes get skiied
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@Neillp, my guess is that the upper slopes are fine. Which means plateau for the beginners and some reasonable stuff for the rest. ESF moving to La Tour not encouraging however.
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You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
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Anyone have any idea what conditions are like at courmayeur?
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Early outing to GM for a little cold skin above the Bochard. High up the off is nice in patches. Lower down I wanted my SL skis. The skinning was OK but I was pleased to have fitted my Knives. The pistes are a little challenging with some f fast skiing going on.
It was ok early on but everywhere is crowded this week.
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